News & Awards

Below is a collection of accomplishments by OSU water faculty and students. These items are also posted in H2OSU, the weekly campus water newsletter. To add to this list, please email iww@oregonstate.edu.

Pacific Northwest Water Research Symposium(01/25/2016)

The Water Research Symposium is a FREE two-day

conference that provides opportunities for students to:

● Present proposed, ongoing, or completed research in

both Poster and Oral Sessions

● Participate in workshop sessions led by acclaimed faculty

and practicing professionals

● Engage with water resources professionals in mentoring

sessions

● Mingle during a networking reception with peers and

local professionals

● Collaborate with peers through small group discussions

and world cafe focus groups

The 2016 theme for the symposium is “Why Water?”

Discussions on why we’re drawn to and connected by water will

frame the event. All are welcome to submit abstracts and

attend the conference.

The Water Research Symposium is a FREE two-day conference that provides opportunities for students to:

Present proposed, ongoing, or completed research in both Poster and Oral Sessions

Participate in workshop sessions led by acclaimed faculty and practicing professionals

Engage with water resources professionals in mentoring sessions

Mingle during a networking reception with peers and local professionals

Collaborate with peers through small group discussions and world cafe focus groups

The 2016 theme for the symposium is “Why Water?” Discussions on why we’re drawn to and connected by water will frame the event. All are welcome to submit abstracts and attend the conference.

Join the Water Resources Community for the Winter 2016 Seminar Series, "Perspectives Across the Hydrologic Cycle".

- - - - - - - -

IWW Premieres "Stormwater Solutions" Film(05/18/2015)

On May 12, 2015, a group of 30 individuals gathered in the La Raza room of the Oregon State Memorial Union to view the premiere of Stormwater Solutions, a film highlighting the creation of the OSU-Benton Country Green Stormwater Infrastructure Facility, an Oregon BEST Lab (OSGIR). The film was followed by a panel discussion with project coordinators Grant Livingston, Chris Conatser, Megnha Babbar-Sebens, Adam Stebbins, and film director/editor Gareth Baldrica-Franklin.

Stormwater Solutions is the first in an ongoing IWW effort to highlight student and faculty water research through visual media. The IWW plans to create and release at least one film of this nature per year.

Oregon State University’s Aaron Wolf, an internationally recognized expert on water conflict resolution, has been named a 2015 recipient of the Heinz Award in the category of public policy.

Established to honor the memory of U.S. Sen. John Heinz, the awards recognize significant contributions in arts and humanities, environment, human condition, public policy, and technology, the economy and employment. Wolf’s award, given by the Heinz Family Foundation, includes an unrestricted cash award of $250,000.

Wolf was cited for “applying 21st-century insights and ingenuity, as well as ancient wisdoms, to problems that few are paying attention to for the security of the planet.”

“In a world where water is rapidly becoming the most precious of resources and most geopolitical of issues, Aaron Wolf has found practical solutions to protect our water resources and find common ground on water-centered conflicts,” said Teresa Heinz, chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation.

- - - - - - - -

New Water Cooperation and Peace Joint Education Programme(03/16/2015)

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands, the University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica, and Oregon State University (OSU) in the USA, have embarked on a joint education programme in Water Coooperation and Peace. The goal of this newinitiative is to broaden the scope of approach to conflict and peace, provide a more theoretical dimension to conflict, engage multi-level scales of conflict dimensions and strengthen skills through highly experiential learning opportunities.

With a launch slated for summer 2015, the programme will provide tools and training in an international setting, with a unique opportunity to undertake coursework and hands-on experiences in Costa Rica, The Netherlands and the United States. Participants will be exposed to case studies involving diverse challenges and contexts at different scales.

Students will be able to choose from a project and thesis option, with further opportunities to specialize based on skills and future career goals. Students will be awarded an MA and an MSc in Water Cooperation and Peace, and have the option to continue on at the University of Oregon for a Juris Doctor or Master of Law.

Kim Ogren, a PhD Geography student, won the Outstanding Student Oral Presentation Award at the recent American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Annual Conference for her research on the Columbia River treaty. Congratulations, Kim! Kim's paper abstract:

The Role of Geography in the Structure and Implementation of Water Governance Processes: A CaseStudy of the Columbia River Treaty Reviews ‐ Kim Ogren, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

For more information about the Columbia River Treaty, check out these resources:

USGS Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Water Resources Research Act(07/17/2014)

The U.S. Geological Survey joins its many partners in other federal agencies, at universities, and in state and local governments in recognizing the importance of the Water Resources Research Act (WRRA) of 1964.

Signed into law 50 years ago by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 17, 1964, the WRRA established a Water Resources Research Institute in each state and Puerto Rico. “Abundant, good water is essential to continued economic growth and progress,” said President Johnson at the time in a prepared statement. “The Congress has found that we have entered a period in which acute water shortages are hampering our industries, our agriculture, our recreation, and our individual health and happiness.”

Fifty years later, the Water Resources Research Institutes, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, continue to fulfill their roles assigned by Congress in 1964. They have produced path-breaking research, developed innovative information and technology transfer programs, and provided training to more than 25,000 students in their 50-year history.

In this newly released book, Dr. Jarvis explores the unique challenges and issues surrounding the governance and management of groundwater. Through case studies and first-hand accounts, Dr. Jarvis shares insights gained through his 30 years of experience as a consulting groundwater hydrologist, professional mediator, and academic researcher. From the publisher, Routledge:

"The world increasingly relies on groundwater resources for drinking water and the provision of food for a growing population. The utilization of aquifer systems also extends beyond freshwater supply to include other resources such as heat extraction and the storage and disposal of substances.

Unlike other books about conflict resolution and negotiations over water resources, this volume is unique in focusing exclusively on conflicts over groundwater and aquifers. The author explores the specific challenges presented by these "hidden" resources, which are shown to be very different from those posed by surface water resources. Whereas surface watersheds are static, groundwater boundaries are value-laden and constantly changing during development.

The book describes the various issues surrounding the governance and management of these resources and the various parties involved in conflicts and negotiations over them. Through first-hand accounts from a pracademic skilled in both process and substance as a groundwater professional and professional mediator, the book offers options for addressing the challenges and issues through a transdisciplinary approach."

- - - - - - - -

Professor Arturo Leon Receives ASCE Recognition(05/13/2014)

Arturo Leon, Ph.D., P.E, Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Oregon State University, has been named a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE) of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE), a subsidiary of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The D.WRE certification is the highest post-license certification available in the water resources engineering profession and it is an accredited program by the Council of Engineering & Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB). The D.WRE represents strong professional ethics, a commitment to life-long learning and continuing professional development. Arturo will be inducted as Diplomate on June 2, 2014 at the 2014 ASCE-EWRI World Water & Environmental Resources Congress.